There’s not just one but two title belts up for grabs at UFC 273, scheduled to be held on April 9 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Headlining what promises to be a superb UFC 273 fight card, Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski will mount his third defense of his UFC Featherweight title, taking on Jung ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung.
Since his first bout in the UFC, Australian fight favorite Volkanovski has certainly lived up to his moniker, boasting a great unbeaten record in the biggest MMA promotion of them all. But while the former rugby player will be tipped to win his next bout, The Korean Zombie has also earned his nickname, able to withstand a beating and keep on coming.
The second title bout of the night features unfinished business and a fearsome rivalry, as Aljamain ‘Funk Master’ Sterling embarks upon his first defense of the UFC Bantamweight title. At UFC 259 in March 2021, he became the first competitor in the UFC to win a title via disqualification, when reigning champion was disqualified for an illegal knee.
Given the unfinished business between these two proud fighters, and following several attempts to organize the inevitable rematch last year, Sterling and Yan finally go head-to-head in the octagon at UFC 273. This will be the first UFC Bantamweight title defense for Sterling, while Yan won his last bout against Cory Sandhagen for the interim championship.